Supporting and driving band for motor cars



Jan. 8 1924.

- 1,480,078 A. KGRESSE I SUPPORTING AND DRIVING BAND FOR MOTOR CARS Filed March 30. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W my Q Patented Jan. s, 1924.

*UNITED STATES A DOLPHE KGRESSE, 0F PARIS, FRANCE.

SUPPORTING AND DRIVING BAND FOR vM'IOR CARS.

'Application filed March 30, 1921. Serial No. 457,109.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PRVISIONS 0F '.IIHIEYAGT 0F MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L., 1313.)

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Anonrun KeREssra citizen of the Republic of France, and resident of Paris, France, post-oiice address 28 Avenue .de Courville, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Supporting and Driving Bands for Motor Cars, (for which I have filed applications in France, on April 3, 1917, Patent No. 494,526,'and in England on April 18, 1917 Patent No.- -127,322,) which improvements are fully set forthv in the following specification.

This invention relates to fiexible, endless supporting and driving bands, and in particular to bands of the character indicated which are designed .primarily `foruse on motor cars.

The invention aims, briefly, to simplify the supporting devices heretofore utilized in this connection, and to provide certain improvements hereinafter fully described, in or relating to the suspension devices, the

supporting rollers and the band-drivingV means ormechanism; and it also resides in the provision of an improved means or device to enable the car to pass across ditches. A band of this general t. e is disclosed, for example in my prior S. Patent,y No. 1,096,815, granted May 12, 1914, but the present'invention is an improvement thereon in the respects noted.

The aecompanyingdrawings illustrate way of example some constructional forms of the improvements forming the subject matter of the present invention. In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view partly in vertical section of an apparatus for propelling motor cars by means of an endless' band. Figure 2 is a view :partly in hori'ontal section on the line A C F-G of Fig. 1 and partly in plan; the upper stretch of the band being omitted.

Fi re 3 is a cross section on the line M- of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail view in side elevation, showing the driving wheel or roller and a portion of the toothed endless band for cofV operation therewith, the band being addiin their turnl fixed to the axle 7 o section of AEn of driving device .or mecha- Figure 8 is a general View partly inv elevation and partly in section of a further modification of the apparatus for driving the band by means of a driving wheel or pulley. l

Figure 9 is a Figure 8.

Figures 10 and v11 illustrate diagrammatically the position of the supporting rollers .on uneven ground in the two modifications of supporting rollers shown in Figures 8 and'9.

Figure 12 is a development of the parts for producing the automatic adherence of a driving wheel or pulley on the endless part-sectional plan view of band.

Figure 13 is` a diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of the apparatus in crossing ditches i In carrying the present invention into effect, the pairs of rollers 4 are connected together by rocking beams 1 (Figures v1, 2 and 3), the cylindrical ends 2 of which are fitted with slight friction in the central portion of the axle 3 ofthe rollers; each roller 4 consisting of two independentlyrotatable members mounted loosely upon axle 3, as

shown. The rocking beams l are fixed at their centres to springs 5 by means of a freely movable pin '6. These sfprings are the car by means oficinted collars 8. They are thereffore able to'assume various angles relatively to the car axle. y i

The load supported by the springs 5 is transmitted directly and wholly to the rocking beams 1 which in their turn are engaged at their ends 2 with the axles 3 of the rollers 4. The joint 2 allows the rollers 4 to follow the unevennesses of the ground trans'- 6 of the rockin road.'

By this means there is obtained a supporting apparatus which is. absolutely flexible and adapted to follow transversely and longitudinally the contour of the ground over which the car is travelling.

Six, eight, ten or more rollers'may be combined together with this apparatus.

The large wheels 9 (Figures '1 land 2) serve here only as supports and guides for the band. Their relatively large diameter .facilitates passing over diicult ground.

rlhese wheels are maintained at the proper distance apart by means of stays 10 pivoted at their upper or inner ends to the car axle 7, and being formed at their outer ends with spindles 11 fitting with slight friction in `the axles 12 ot the wheels 9. By this means the large wheels are likewise enabled to follow the transverse unevennesses of the vroad whilst being capable of moving vertically with relation to one another by rocking about the car axle 7. y

rlhe driving of the endless band is ei'ected in this case directly through the medium" of an ordinary toothed wheel or roller 14 (Figure 1) fixed on the rotating part of the axle- 7; its teeth engage with the teeth 15 of the band. 'A

17h is a roller bearing upon the outer rolling track of the band 16; it maintains the latter at the proper distance from the toothed wheel 14. As the roller 17 is lixed to the chassis 18 by means of the bracket 20 and the part 19 for rendering the axle rigid, it will beunderstood that the action of the springs 5 will have no influence upon the roper working of this apparatus, especially 1n view of the flexibility and elasticity of the band. ,x

With the teeth of the band there may be combined a metal chain 22 (Figures 4 and 5) jointed at the points-23. This chain passes inside the teeth and is fixed to the latter by nected together by a rubber band in such a manner that the strain transmitted to one `'tooth by the driving pinion 14 will be dis.-

tributed by the chain. over all the other teeth of the endless band. 'llhe rollers or the teeth of the pinion 14 are adapted to allow of the passage of the chain 22.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate another modification of the driving apparatus., The car axle 7 carries, jointed around it on each side of the band, arms 25 on the ends of which the rollers 26 and 27 arel mounted loose. Two of the rollers 26 serve to support and guide a roller chain 28 of special construcnascere chain will 'depend on the power that is to be transmitted. The rollers 27 which may be connected together by an endless band 30 serve to assure a permanent contact between the band 16 and the chain 28. l

ll am aware that it has'been proposed in connection with vehicle` driving means to drive toothed endless belts or chains, which constitute endless tracks and pass around driving wheels and the like, by means of toothed wheels,and to employ load` supporting rollers on the back of the lower stretch of the endless band, which are mounted on rocking beams.

lin the constructional form shown in Figures 8 and 9, the whole of the mechanism is mounted free\on the tube 33 of -the driving axle o t an existing motor car. On each end of this tube 33 there is mounted 'loose a double rocking beam 34, to the ends of which are fixed the internally cylindrical spring boxes 35. The springs 36 bear at their upper ends against the tops of the boxes 35 and'at their lower ends against the bottoms of the hollow members 37 which rest on the rock- -ing beams 38 which in their turnl bear upon supporting rollers 39. The members 37 whose vcylindrical upper portions tit with slight friction in the boxes 35, enable' the springs 36 to assure the suspension of the car. Further, the members 37 which are guided for a considerable portion of their length in the interior of the boxes 35, assure the guiding of the supporting trains formed 'llhe two ends of the rocking beam 38 are connected to the supporting rollers 39 by the axles 41 and 42. v

Figure 9 shows the axle 41 as pivotally mounted at its center on the 'inner end of beam 38, and as provided at one end with a spherical head or ball 43 which fits -in a two-part bearing 44, the latter having rotatably mounted on it the adjacent roller mem.- ber 39; it being understood that each roller comprises Vtwo such members which are rothe rocking beams 38 and rollers 39 :whilst allowing of a certain amount ofv tatable independently off' each other. The head or ball 43 and the socket or bearing 44 may, however, be replaced by a ball-bearing of any suitable type. The other end of axle 41 is provided with a trunnion or spind1e'45 on which is mounted a cylindrical rocker 46 .having the other roller member 39 rotatably fitted on it.

The two combinations above described allow the supporting rollers to assume at right angles to their axes, positions similar to those shown in the diagram of Figure 10.

Fig. 11 shows in a diagrammatic manner onthe same kind of ground, the position of the supporting rollers 39 fixed with considerable friction on the axle 42 (Fig. 9). This axle 42 carries at its centre a ball-shaped member adapted to rotate inside a divided bearing 47 formed in one piece with the rocking beam 38. The ball-shaped member may be replaced by a ball bearing of known type. The combination thus obtained with the axle 42 has the advantage of 4simplicity and is practically suiicient in many cases.

In the construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the endless band is driven by means of a wheel consisting of two parts, of which one is mounted' on a central hub 48 and the other part ismounted ona secondary hub 49. This latter isloose on the central hub and is capable of sliding longitudinally thereon.

The central hub 48 and the corresponding part of the wheel are drivenv directly by a chain wheel 53 which receives yits motiony from the shaft 50 of the driving axle through the medium of the pinion 51 and the chain 52. f

The half pulley fixed to the secondary i hub 49 is driven by means of inclined clutch surfaces' 54 and 55, of which one is fixed to the main hub '48 and the other to the secondary hub 49 (Figs. 9 and 12).

The automatic4 adhesion is eii'ected on the cone 56 of the endless band 57 As a matter of fact, the half wheel corresponding to the seconda 'hub 49 is driven only through the medium of the inclined clutch surfaces y 54 and 55. Assoon as there is any tendency to slip, this half wheel, not being fixed on the central hub 48, Will followthe movement of the band which seeks to move l slowly in relation to the band of the half wheel of the central -hub 48. The two hubs 48 and 49, moving through a certain angle relatively to each other. cause the inclined surfaces 54 'and 55 to slip over each other, with the result that the two half wheels are brought nearer to each other, thereby increasing automatically the adhesion of the cone 56 of the band 57. .en

The side strains that are transmitted to the entireapparatus are taken up in this arrangement by two struts 58 and 59 (Figure 9) which are attached at one end to the inner stays 60 near the band wheels, and at their other ends are jointed to the axle tube 33. For constructional reasons the stays 59 and 6() of one of the wheels may be jointed on pins 61 formed on the heads 62 of the opposed sta 's as near as possible to the 'car axle, and al in one and the same line parallel to thesaid axle. The addition of the supplementary stays 59 does not interfere in any way with the oscillations of the large wheels since they are jointed to the same axles as the stays 60 of those wheels.

The car is enabled to pass over ditches by means of two or more rollers 63 (Figures 8 and 9) which are loose onv their axles, the ends of which are attached to springs 64 fixed on the projecting parts65 (Figure 8) of the struts 60 by means of collar straps 66. 1

This device has the effect of preventing the large supporting wheels of the endless band from descending into the ditch and of allowing them to engage the other side ot l the ditch at a favourable angle. The diagrammatic Figure 13- shows clearly the action of the said device.

What I claim is:

1. In an automobile, an endless, flexible supporting and driving band; supporting wheels around which the band passes; and a system. of rollers supporting the Weight of the axle and bearing upon the band; said supporting wheels being` devoid of rigid connection with the roller system and being adapted to rest freely upon the band and to rock vertically about an axis without acting on the chassis or on said roller system.

2. In an automobile, an axle; an endless, flexible supporting and driving band; a plurality of pairs of supporting rollers bearing thereupon; a rocking beam connected to each pair of rollers; a member for supporting. said beams pivoted centrally to said axle; 4said member having its opposite ends resiliently -connected to said beams; and supportin wheels, independent of said rollers, aroun which said band passes.,

3. In an automobile, an endless, flexible supporting and driving band; a plurality of pairs of supporting rollers bearing there# vupon, each roller comprisingtwo indendaround which the band passes, one of said wheels constituting a driver and comprising two members spaced apart from each other; a longitudinall projection on the, mner surprojection between a supporting and driving face of said band adapted to travel through the space between said members; and a chain for positively driving one member; wheel members having hubs formed with inclined clutch surfaces for coaction with each other to force the two wheel members toward each other and thereby cause them to grip said .projection between them.

5. ln an automobile, an endless, exible band; a plurality of rollers bearing thereon; a pair of Wheels around which the band passes, one of said wheels constituting a driver and' comprising two members spaced apart from each other; a longitudinal project-ion on the inner surface of said band adapted to travel through the space between said members; a chain for positively driving one member; and means on the hubs of the two members to force said members toward each other and thereby cause them to grip said them.

6. ln a tractor, -the combination of an endless, flexible track belt; front and rear drums around which the belt passes; a centrally-located axle; and a bearin train for said belt comprising a longitu both wheel inally-ar- Leaders ranged beam disposed substantially parallel with the stretches of the belt and having a central pivotal connection with said axle, a spring-controlled, reciprocatory element connected with each end of the beam, and rollers supported by said reciprocatory elements and arranged to bear upon the inner surface of the lower stretch of the belt.

7. lln a tractor, the combination of an endless,` flexible track belt; front and rear drums around which the belt passes; and a bearing train for said belt comprising a pivotally-mounted balance beam, cylinders at opposite ends thereof, a plunger each cylinder, a roller support carried by each plunger, and rollers carried by said supports and arranged to bear upon the inner surface of the lower stretch of the belt, certain rollers having rock-joint connections with their supports.

lln testimony whereof ll have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v v

' ADOLPHE KlGRESSE.

Witnesses: p

'llnnNANn DUFOUR, @Harinas linen Lcrsnr..

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